Epilogue
DAVEY
Even after all this time, I still couldn't believe this was my life. I lay in our bed with my hands resting on my enormous belly as our son kicked against my palms.
A year ago, I'd been alone.
Now, I had a mate, a wolf, and a tiny human growing inside me. If anyone had told me last Christmas that I'd meet my shifter mate while on vacation at Winter Wonderland Wilderness Lodge, I would have laughed in their face.
But here I was, due any day, and so in love I could barely breathe sometimes.
"Good morning, little one." I rubbed my belly and used a sing-song voice to greet him.
The baby responded with a solid kick to my ribs that made me wince and laugh at the same time.
"Um, ow!” I shifted my position in the bed. “Not much longer and you'll be able to kick me from the outside."
The calendar on our bedroom wall showed just a few more days until we hit the circled date in red marker with a little stork drawn next to it.
My due date.
The doctor said first babies often came late, but something told me this little guy wasn't gonna wait much longer. Again, I tried to shift into a more comfortable position, but comfortable wasn't a thing that existed in my world anymore.
The bedroom door pushed open and Michael walked in with a tray balanced in his strong hands.
My alpha was bringing me breakfast in bed.
My heart still did that silly flutter thing when I saw him.
"I thought I heard you talking to our pup.
" He set the tray on the nightstand and leaned down to kiss me.
His hand joined mine on my belly, and he smiled when the baby kicked against it. "He's feisty today."
"He's impatient. Takes after his father." I faked a frown and then puckered my lips for a kiss. "What's the occasion?"
"I don’t need an occasion to bring my mate breakfast in bed. Besides, the doctor said you need extra protein." He helped me sit up against the pillows before placing the tray across my lap.
I looked down at the feast he'd prepared. Scrambled eggs with cheese, whole grain toast with avocado, a bowl of fresh berries, and a tall glass of milk. "You're gonna make me too fat to move."
Michael growled and nuzzled my neck. "You're growing our pup. You don’t need to move." His hand stroked my belly possessively. "Besides, my wolf likes to see you well-fed."
I rolled my eyes but couldn't stop the pleased smile that spread across my face. "Your wolf is bossy."
"We know what our mate needs." He kissed my temple and settled beside me on the bed. "Eat."
I picked up my fork and dug in, suddenly ravenous.
Michael watched me eat with that intensity that used to make me uncomfortable but now just made me feel cherished. When I finished, he took the tray and set it aside.
"What's the plan for today? More tiny clothes to fold?" I knew full well that we'd already organized the nursery at least five times in the past week, and every stitch of clothing in five different sizes were already folded and put away.
Michael chuckled and pulled me against him with his hand never leaving my belly. "I think we've got that room as ready as it can be, don't you?"
“I guess.” The nursery was perfect, and the bassinet he built was ready with woodland-themed bedding. We had more diapers and supplies than one baby could possibly need, but it was still fun to just hang out in there while we waited.
“Just a few more days.” Michael leaned down to kiss my belly. “Your Papa and Daddy can’t wait to meet you, little guy.”
I tried to get out of bed, and Michael immediately jumped up to help me. “Where do you think you’re going, Daddy?”
"I need to pee for the five hundredth time." I huffed in frustration at not being able to move the way I used to. “Help before I have an accident.”
“I’ve got you.” Michael steadied me as I stood, and I waddled to the bathroom.
When I finished and washed my hands, I caught sight of myself in the mirror. My body had changed so much over these nine months, stretching and growing to make room for our son. I placed my hands on my belly and smiled at my reflection. "Almost time to meet you, little one."
A sharp twinge made me grip the edge of the sink. “Oh…” I breathed through it, but I knew this one felt different. It wasn’t false labor. This was the real thing. "Michael?"
His nostrils flared as he scented the air. "What's wrong? Your scent changed."
"I think..." I paused and held my breath as another twinge gripped me. "I think it might be time."
Michael froze for exactly two seconds before snapping into action. "How far apart are the contractions?"
"I don't know yet. That was only the second one."
He nodded, remarkably calm despite the tension I could feel radiating from him. "We'll time them. The doctor said not to rush to the hospital until they're five minutes apart."
"Or when my water breaks." I glanced down, but there wasn’t anything spilling from between my legs. “We’ve got some time.”
He nodded again, reaching for the hospital bag we'd packed weeks ago. "Do you need anything? Water? A snack? I could make some toast."
I laughed despite the discomfort. "I just ate the feast you made me. I'm fine."
The next few hours passed in a blur of mild contractions that gradually grew stronger.
Michael timed each one, and by early afternoon, they were coming five minutes apart. "It's time to go."
The drive to the hospital took four contractions too long. Michael gripped the steering wheel so tightly I thought it might snap, but he kept his voice calm for my sake. "Almost there, love. You're doing so well."
At the hospital, everything happened quickly. My doctor confirmed I was in active labor, and the nurses settled me into a delivery room. Michael never left my side, not even when my contractions intensified and I may have threatened to never let him touch me again.
The next hour was the hardest work I'd ever done in my life. Michael held my hand as my body did things I never imagined possible. And then there was a cry. A beautiful wail that cut through the room and straight to my heart.
"It's a boy!" The doctor placed our slippery son on my chest and disappeared from my view.
All I could see was my baby boy. My baby and my mate.
The baby wiggled against my skin with his tiny arms and legs finally stretching out.
I stared down at him in wonder, taking in every perfect detail. "Hello, River," I whispered as my voice was choked with emotion. "We've been waiting for you."
Michael leaned over us with tears streaming down his face. His hand looked enormous as he gently touched our son's fuzzy head. "He's perfect, Davey."
The nurses took River briefly to clean him up and check his vitals while the doctor helped me through the final stages of delivery. When they returned our son, he was wrapped snugly in a hospital blanket.
"River.” Michael cradled him with a tenderness that made my heart ache. “You’re named for the place your daddy first met my wolf."
I reached out to touch River's tiny cheek. "It’s amazing I didn't run screaming into the night."
Michael laughed softly. "Best decision you ever made."
"Second best." I smiled down at our son and then back to my mate. "He’s the best."
Later, after I'd been moved to a recovery room and River had been fed and changed, I watched Michael standing by the window with our son cradled against his broad chest.
"Just wait until you meet your papa's wolf," I said softly. "He’s the strongest, bravest wolf in the forest. And he's gonna teach you all about running through the woods and hunting and everything you need to know about your magical heritage."
Michael turned to face me, his eyes shining with an emotion so profound it took my breath away. "And your daddy is gonna teach you about courage and love and how to be the kind of man who can bring an alpha to his knees with just a smile."
I gazed at our son and smiled at the way his little mouth made suckling movements in his sleep. "I never knew I could love someone this much."
"I felt the same way when I met you." Michael came to me and pressed a hard kiss to my mouth. "And now I've got two of you to love."
"Happily ever after?" I raised my eyebrow and smirked.
Michael's arm wrapped around my shoulders as we both watched over our son. "Happily, lovingly, sexily, ever after."
Wolf Beneath The Wreath is part of the Double-booked for the Holidays multi-author mpreg shared setting Christmas series. Each book can be read as a standalone but why not grab all these sweet and sexy holiday shifter with forced proximity stories?
You might also like these mpreg shifter Christmas books by Aria Grace…
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